2022 INF/RHP Derek Ruiz commits to Madonna University.

 

“We at ECM are excited to see Derek’s hard work pay off with his commitment to Madonna. It his 2 plus years with ECM Derek has proved to be a true leader by example. He has set the tone and the standard in this program for what it means to be a hard worker. His development as a player has truly been from his self-determination and desire to be the best player he can be. We look forward to having one final year of his leadership in our program.”

 

-- Coach Sheppard

 

We asked Derek a few questions about his recruitment.

 

1. What are your reasons for choosing Madonna University?

 

Madonna has a very competitive program that has a great baseball winning culture. They were the perfect fit for me athletically and academically considering I will be majoring in Sports Management. The coaching staff at Madonna stood out to me in the fact that they are attentioned to detail in developing players to play at the next level beyond college. Overall, Madonna offered everything I was looking for in a school both on and off the field, and I am more than excited to be a Crusader.

 

2. Who has influenced your baseball career?

 

Ever since I was little, my Grandpa introduced the game to me and we would throw/hit togther all the time. As a kid, watching the World Series every year and watching my favorite player Francisco Lindor is what drives me to become better each and every day. Now, I am influenced by my own goals and aspirations along with the tremendous help of all my coaches on ECM and teammates over the years.

 

3. Why did you choose to play for ECM? 

 

I chose to play for ECM after my freshman year of High School when I was serious about playing college baseball. I knew ECM had a great track record with moving players onto the collegiate level while preparing them in the best way possible. I wanted to play for Coach Sheppard because I knew he would instill me to become the best player I could be day in day out.

 

4. How has ECM helped prepare you for the next level?

 

ECM has prepared me for the next level in countless ways. ECM has prepared me physically but most of all mentally for the next level. Everything we do at ECM is done with a purpose along with intention. I have learned to go about the game the right way and buy into the process of hard work to reach goals. ECM has taught me how to handle the "grind" of a college baseball player and the things that need to be done to get to that level.

 

5. How has playing for ECM helped throughout the college recruiting process? 

 

ECM has been huge. It was a pleasure to play in front of 10-15 schools/coaches just this past summer, leading to about 5-6 of those schools reaching out to me. That was really the spark of my recruitment and it gave me multiple opportunities at the next level. Playing for ECM is what put me on the scene to college coaches and is what got me to this point in my career.